The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-11

vance In general prosperity. its income increas.
ing largely and Mr.. Beechers salary. which had
at first been only 81 500. was gradually increased
to 81, 500.
At the outbreak of hostilities in 1861, Mr..
Beecher Immediately took an active and ener-
getic part in the cause of the Union After
helping to fit out two regiments, he took upon
himself the entire burden of equipping new
regiment called the Long Island Volunteers,
afterward the Sixty seventh New York. This
regiment would never have had an existence
but for the labors of Mr.. and Mrs. Beecher and
the members of the church whom they inter
ested in it. Their eldest son. Henry Barton
Beecher, joined it. and was made lieutenant
In those days the government had plenty OF
men and very little money, and therefore de-
chned to accept this regiment for many months
after it was organized during which time the
entire expense of feeding and clothing the men
was borne by subscriptions raised by Mr. Beech
er. It was not until after the battle of Bull
Run, at the end of July, 1861, that the regiment
was even in form accepted and not until much
later that it was actually mustered into the
national service
This of course interfered considerably with
the regular work of the church, but as soon as
this particular labor was over Mr. Beecher re-
| sumed his usual work with fresh energy, result
ing in another large accession of members in the
spring of 1862 During all the rest of the war
he took an exceedingly active part In everything
connected with the national interests until, be-
ing obliged from loss of health to revisit Europe
In 1868 he made, on his way home, that famous
series of speeches in England which undoubtedly
| turned the current of feeling there and gave
new courage to the friends of the Northern
cause.
during all this period, of course, there were
many occasions in which Mr.. Beecher did and
| said things which excited intense hostility. In
1850, when Captain Rynders had brought about
| riot in the Broadway Tabernacle on the occa
| sion OF Wendell Phillips speaking there. and
alarmed the owners of the building to such an
extent that they declined to allow Mr.. Phillips
to speak there again Mr.. Beecher Immediately
| called on the trustees of Plymouth Church and
| demanded that Mr.. Phillips should have the use
| OF that building The trustees not un
| friendly, but some Of them hesitated from the
that and the osss 1 %' BE- Bses
er emphatlcaly declared that he would
rather preach over the ashes of his church than
| preach in a comfortable building that could not
| be used for the maintenance of free speech, and
| the trustees agreed to consent Some years aft
| erward. when another riot was threatened in
| New York, and when the use of nearly every
public building was refused, Mr.. Beecher again
| used for the same purpose, and although the city
was then under the government of party which
| was not at all IN sympathy with Mr.. Beecher
| or his views the result of his public appeal to
the citizens to maintain the right of free speech
| was so effective that police we're sent to guard
| the church, and the scattering mob which came
with the intention of creating q riot was speed
lily dispersed. Again, in 1860. serious threats of
| tH0 iuOD were maze, ana q crOWQ or lOSCll0 peO-
| pie surrounded the church ON Sunday even
| ing, but volunteer guards protected the building
| throughout the service, with worse result
than that of one stone coming through win
| dow
son several occasions Mr.. Beecher introduced
slaves to the audience in the church, thus to
give practical illustration of what slavery real
ly was This did not happen more than three or
| four times, and was not done for the mere pur-
pose of exhibition or excitement. but always
with some practical end in view On one of
these occasions a young woman, very nearly
white, together with her child, was introduced
to the audience, having been allowed by her
master to come North upon her pledge to return
in case the amount necessary to redeem her was
not raised, and after the Sermon in which MIR
Beecher strongly impressed on his hearers the
duty of opposing slavery in the spirit Of patience
with Shareholders and of hating the system
without hating the men who were involved in it
he appealed to them for collection to liberate
this young slave woman. OF course the amount
was instantly raised and the incident made
scene of great agitation aud feeling. Mr.
Beecher, however, did not encourage appca
tons of this kind, knowing that such relic
could reach only an exceedingly small part o
the slave population.